added 3:11pm, Just wanted to note Josh Cooper actually broke the suspension on Twitter. Thanks to those who let me know.

added 4:35pm,

TORONTO (January 14, 2011) – Nashville Predators defenseman Shane O’Brien has been suspended for two games and will forfeit $39,024.40 in salary for a high-sticking incident against Stephen Weiss of the Florida Panthers in NHL game #650, January 13, the National Hockey League announced today.

O’Brien, who was suspended for one game on November 3, 2009, is considered a repeat offender under the terms of the Collective Bargaining Agreement. Accordingly, he forfeits his salary based on the number of games in the season (82), rather than the number of days (186). The money goes to the Players’ Emergency Assistance Fund.

O’Brien will miss both of Nashville’s weekend games—a home and home series with the Chicago Blackhawks on Saturday and Sunday

O’Brien, whose contract rights the Canucks retained in July with a qualifying offer of $1.6 million US, said he knew before training camp was a week old that Vigneault wasn’t going to have him on the team.

“I knew I was in trouble,” he said. “I wish I got a little fairer shake in camp. I only played three exhibition games, all on the road, and we flew the day of the game on two of them. And -no disrespect to the players we had in those games -but the three games I played we were nowhere near an NHL-calibre roster. It was the icing on the cake for my career here in Vancouver.

“Last year, I stepped up when we had some injuries and helped our team win the division, and I thought I played with a lot of heart in the playoffs. Every time there was an injury, I’d play well. And when [the injured player] came back, I’d go right back to the bottom of the barrel. It’s tough to play in this league when you know if you have a bad night, you’re going to the press box. After two years, it was still the same thing. No matter what I did, I didn’t seem to stand a chance with that guy.”

O’Brien raised his index finger and gestured to the crowd, palms up, as if to request more applause for his pugilistic feats. Kings Coach Terry Murray criticized him and called him a clown. O’Brien’s employers reportedly didn’t like it much, either, and called him in for a chat before he spoke to the media in Vancouver on Saturday.

“I wasn’t trying to show anybody up or anything like people keeping saying and talking about,” he told reporters in Vancouver before the Canucks flew to Los Angeles. “It was a big game, there was some emotion, the crowd was standing and next thing I know I was raising my hands in the air.

“It was probably a little immature and uncalled for, but at the same time, I don’t know, for those of you out there who have been in a fight sometimes you don’t think before you act—I’m pretty good at that. I’ve got to start thinking before I do stuff. I’ve done a lot worse in my life.”

But he called Shane O’Brien a “clown” for the way he celebrated a narrow decision over Wayne Simmonds seven seconds earlier.

After Simmonds and O’Brien went to the ice with O’Brien on top, the Canucks defenceman got up like he was Tie Domi after thumping Bob Probert, first raising his index finger in the air like he’s No. 1, then waving his hands at the crowd with his palm uplifted.

“You don’t need to rub it in at the end of a fight, skating around with your hands in the air acting like the clown that he is,” Murray said.

“I don’t think I have issues. I’m a single guy and I like to go out and have a good time every now and then. Do I need to pick my spots better? Maybe. This time of year definitely. When you go through something like that, you look at yourself in the mirror.

“I need to realize how lucky I am to be in the NHL and the privilege it is and you’ve got to be ready to go every night. Some days, I take that for granted and maybe enjoy myself too much. That’s just me, I guess.”

-Shane O’Brien of the Vancouver Canucks. More from Ben Kuzma of the White Towel a the Vancouver Province.

Shane O’Brien is in the bad books at GM Place, as the bruising blueliner will not go on the Canucks’ upcoming trip to Southern California and will have to wait until Sunday to find out what his future is with the Canucks.

Alain Vigneault wouldn’t give any further details on why the Canucks felt they needed to take the firm line with O’Brien, but didn’t sound impressed after Tuesday’s pre-game skate.

Shane O’Brien has received a one-game suspension for sticking it to Sean Avery on Tuesday at GM Place.

The Vancouver Canucks defenceman, who had been benched after taking a double-minor penalty late in the second period, stormed the length of the players’ bench early in the third period to challenge the agitating Avery and stuck his stick into the abdomen of the New York Rangers winger.

O’Brien was so worked up that he had to be restrained by Canucks coach Alain Vigneault.

“You never want to be suspended and I don’t think it deserves one, but I’ll take my punishment,” said O’Brien, who won’t be eligible to play Thursday night against the Minnesota Wild.